New mental health strategy, 12/08/12 [S]

The Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson has launched a new strategy designed to improve the mental health and wellbeing of everyone in Scotland.

It sets out 36 key commitments to be delivered between now and 2015 to deliver faster access to mental health services for younger people, faster access to psychological therapies, work to reduce and prevent suicide and addressing stigma and discrimination.

There is a strong focus throughout the strategy on actions that people can take for themselves and with their communities to maintain and improve their own health.

Other commitments include working more effectively with families and carers and improving links between work on alcohol and depression to improve identification and treatment.